Singer Chinmayi Sripaada has been facing a wave of trolling on social media after she publicly called out Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth for congratulating poet and lyricist Vairamuthu on being selected for the prestigious Jnanpith Award. Chinmayi, who was among the women who named the lyricist during the MeToo movement, has now addressed the backlash, explaining why she chose to criticise the Tamil superstars and asserting that she has every right to voice her disappointment.
Chinmayi Sripaada on publicly calling out Rajinikanth and Kamal
Vairamuthu has become the third Tamil writer, after novelists Akilan (1975) and Jayakanthan (2002), to be honoured with the Jnanpith Award, the country’s highest literary honour. However, the news met with mixed reactions as in 2018, multiple women named Vairamuthu during the MeToo movement, including Chinmayi.
Chinmayi did not hold back her disappointment and criticised Kamal and Rajinikanth for congratulating him on social media, following which she faced intense trolling from their fans.
Later on Sunday, Chinmayi took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share a note addressing the angry fans who have been slamming her for criticising Kamal and Rajinikanth. She confessed that she was also a fan of the icons, adding that she has the right to express her disappointment with men who she “foolishly and naively expected would do better”.
“A lot of you are just generally angry because I called out the Rajini Sir and Kamal Sir. I was a fan too,” Chinmayi wrote.
She continued, “I have the right to express my disappointment from men who I foolishly and naively expected would do better – especially that one of them is an MP as well – like the characters they play in the films, which a punch line of doing the right thing. As a citizen in this country, and as a woman, a parent of kids, watching mounting cases of sexual harassment, assault, abuse by men in power every single day, while those who can make a difference turn a blind eye – it is a blazing disappointment and my right to ask a politician in a democratic, how they are leading by example.”
In her note, Chinmayi expressed her disappointment and shared what she hopes will happen next. The singer wrote, “And one can be disappointed – and so many of my ‘heroes’, ‘mentors’ of all genders in the Tamil Film Industry did not do the right thing – All I ask is setting up an Internal Complaints Committee according to the Vishkha Guidelines – a safe enquiry committee where women and minors (many are minors in media) feel emboldened and safe to report which can also safeguard against false cases.”
“I know now – a lot of men who have not been outed publicly by anyone, we know who they are – I know who will never come within a 5km radius of my children. Sadly, you won’t know who they are – because there is no safe space to report a molester in Tamilnadu since you all rally to protect your sex offender buddies. Time will be your greatest teacher. And those lessons will not be kind,” Chinmayi concluded in her note.
In another tweet, Chinmayi wrote, “Sri Rajinikanth and Sri Kamal Haasan – are powerful men in the Industry, legends who are saying 17 Women speaking up about sexual harassment, one of whom got banned in front of their eyes and they did NOTHING with all their power, makes no difference.”
She added, “These are men who have transitioned to politics and give speeches about Women’s safety while colluding with a molester WITHOUT PUTTING safeguards of ICCs in their own industry FIRST! Which part of this is not making sense to you? Since 2019 A R Rahman Sir’s KM Conservatory and Studio is the ONLY place with a functional ICC. A woman called out sexual harassment from the Dubbing Union – She was banned from working. She got justice after 5 years. How do these legends in the industry not understand?
Chinmayi Sripaada calls out Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan
After the news of Vairamuthu getting the honour, Rajinikanth wrote in Tamil, “My heartfelt congratulations to my dear friend, the esteemed poet Vairamuthu, recipient of the great Jnanpith Award of our Indian nation. @Vairamuthu #JnanpithAward,” Chinmayi called him out, writing, “Ayyyyyyoooo!!! Puriyave puriyaadha (what a puzzle)??!”
Kamal had also congratulated Vairamuthu, writing in Tamil, “Tamil literature, with its long tradition, has received the prestigious literary award, the Jnanpith, for the third time. After the previous Jnanpith received by Jayakanthan, after the passage of a quarter century, my uncle poet-emperor @Vairamuthu has added this great honor to Tamil. With the poetic words “The sky is a Bodhi tree for me; every day it gives me a message,” which fell into my ears, entered my heart, and mingled in friendship, I take pride in congratulating this friend.”
Chinmayi called him out through a post which read, “For God’s sake. P.S.: Men in such power in cinema transitioning to politics completely turning a deaf ear to women who come on record to say they were molested by “his uncle-mentor” must remind women who vote – that men will never be on our side. The weirdest thing – one of the women in his own party publicly named the Poet. End of the day, men WILL stand by their bros, uncles, dads, friends, mentors. Who cares if multiple women were traumatised?”
Meanwhile, Kamal and Rajinikanth have not reacted to the stir.
